Fire Emblem Revelation: Anthony's Story Part 1
by timelesself
Summary: Who was the child that came so close to defeating Corrin and his family? What caused the life of a child to be spent in a vain attempt to stop a wandering hero? This is the story of the fall of the beautiful land of Valla, and how those who once lived freely were relegated to servant hood of the Silent Dragon Anankos. Rated T for depictions of death and abuse.
1. Chapter 1- Fatal Mistakes

_This is the story. The story of the young child of Valla who met with its prince to save the world. Many stories differ on the child's intention, his motives, and why he was chosen to meet the fated Prince. Let us see first, however, the story of Valla itself. How did this country come into such despair? Where are its people? More importantly, who lives there now? This is the story of the Silent Dragon, and the lone fugitive who sought to escape._

"Everyone, flee!"

A mass outpouring of Vallite citizens flowed from every town, every village, every nook and cranny in the forsaken land. News of the king's death by the hand of the Silent Dragon Anankos spread like wildfire, as well as the escape of the royal sisters, Arete and Mikoto. Rumors had it that both Arete and Mikoto had managed to give birth to two young children, Arete's young daughter Azura, and Mikoto's boy named Corrin. These children were said to have escaped along with the exiled royals. Now all the citizens of Valla were scrambling to escape along with them, using whatever means necessary. Means of escape were rumored: lakes that transported you to other realms, bottomless cliffs that somehow exited into a dreary land, and the fabled astral planes. These plans were put to a halt, however, when the citizens attempted these measures. Townspeople drowned themselves striving in vain to find a portal, met their end in a resounding thud at the bottom of a canyon, knelt down and prayed, but in vain.

A nineteen year old adventurer, Emma by name, gripped her bow tightly. "Damn it all…" she growled, "There's nothing here...no way out." She watched as flustered townspeople shouldered each other aside, each selfishly searching for a new means to escape the trap "King" Anankos had set for them. Valla had always been a peaceful place, full of those who were courageous, kind, and helpful. Anyone brought up in Valla could tell you how closely bonded neighbors were, and how accepting they were of every person that found their way to the beautiful city. Then the news had arrived of the king's death, and all hell had broken loose. Emma wiped away a tear. Her own family, two parents and an older brother, aged 22, had been killed not by any forces under the new king's command, but had been trampled by crowds rushing to escape the city. Lost in thought, Emma suddenly roused herself when a shout of anger broke through her daydreams. She heard a commotion by the lake and turned to see what new issue had arisen in this desperate time. Approaching the lake, Emma took in the scene in front of her and angrily nocked an arrow in her bow, ready to fire. Cries of horror and anger were ripped from the throats of onlooking friends and loved ones as a group villagers carelessly shoved the floating bodies of the fallen aside to search for their own escape. It was of the deepest disrespect of the dead, and was inexcusable, even in desperate times like these. Finally, one young man laughed in triumph, perhaps thinking he had finally found a path. His triumph was cut short, however, by a longsword emerging from the water. Without even a pause, the sword penetrated the man's back, ripping through cloth, skin, and muscle to exit through his navel. The young man stood for a second, with a questioning look on his face as though he wasn't even sure he had been stabbed. Behind him, a shifting shadow of a man, masked in a purple haze, drew up while clutching the sword. Without hesitation, the shadow grabbed the young villager and thrust him beneath the surface of the water.

As the poor villager struggled hopelessly for breath, more invisible soldiers emerged from the lake. Cries broke from the group as the corpses of the other villagers were enshrouded in a purple cloud, and they too rose up, shrouded in the same purple cloud, and stalked towards the townspeople. By this time, the young villager had stopped struggling, and the samurai that had taken his life rose from the water.

"I AM THE FROGOTTEN DRAGON."

The voice seemed to come not from the samurai, but was rather reverberating throughout the entire area. Perhaps even the entire land of Valla.

"THE ENTOMBED GOD, THE BETRAYED KING."

Several soldiers gathered around the samurai, raising their weapons towards the group.

"IN THE NAME OF THE KING OF VALLA, I SENTENCE YOU TO DIE!"

Cries rang out from the villagers as they tried to flee the warriors. Those in the front of the group, those most selfish and eager to leave their loved ones behind, were immediately put to death. Emma cursed and ducked away from the rest of the townspeople. Pulling her hood up over her head, she rushed into the forest behind her without a second look. She scrambled over root, climbed over rocks, and even had to duck under branches that seemed to be bending down to her

 _Wait…_ looking out to the road ahead, Emma saw rocks shifting into place, roots rising to threaten falls, and branches hang down over the path ahead. Emma cursed the Silent Dragon again. _All this power over the land of Valla…whose idea was it to let him hold onto it?!_

She leapt off of the pathway, this time running haphazardly between trees, over ditches. Until finally, a clearing opened up, distantly off to the side of her. Gratefully, she sprinted through and found herself on solid brick.

"Hey, you!"

Emma turned to see a young man clothed in what appeared to be ninja garb. He was rather shorter than she imagined ninja to be, with short, light brown hair tied back in a bandana and olive green eyes.

"Nohrian, are you?"

Emma was taken aback. She had heard of the realm of Nohr, as well as its less than ideal political and martial practices. She held no resentment for any Nohrians, but to be seen as from there, rather than Valla…where was she?

"Not exactly, I'm afraid. Please tell me, where am I?"

The ninja smirked, and for a half second Emma thought the ninja would simply order her to be thrown into the dungeon. If she wasn't in Valla, or in Nohr, then…

"I wouldn't say you would have to be afraid of not being from Nohr. You got the right clothes, I'd wager. Right hair and eyes from what I can tell, too…" Emma self-consciously brushed back her blonde hair from her face. "but…the way you hold yourself is different. Those Nohrians walk so tall and proud, while you…you almost seem dogged. Don't worry, my lady. You've found yourself on the outskirts of Hoshido."

Emma took this chance to interrupt him. "That's just wonderful. My name is Emma, and I hail from-"

A scream interrupted her parley. Both she and the ninja turned around, only to be welcomed to the sight of purple mist rolling through the small town. The two reeled backwards in surprise, and the ninja let out a shout.

"Gods above! What is that?"

Emma could feel her face going deathly pale.

"Monsters…monsters from…my homeland…" For some reason, she could feel her mind instinctively telling her not to outright say where she was from.

"What? _You_ brought them here?" The ninja turned on her, raising his dagger threateningly. "Call them off, or I swear I'll-"

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Emma smiled bitterly. "I suppose I brought them here, in a manner of speaking, but I have no control over them. I am a fugitive, fleeing from a usurper king."

"You had no right to come here then," the ninja growled, "no right to wander into a foreign country, to sacrifice the lives of so many townsmen!"

Emma bowed her head. "I understand," she replied meekly, "but perhaps…perhaps I can at least cause some lives to be spared."

Throwing back her hood, she boldly approached the Vallite soldiers. "My Lord, King Anankos, if I may so call you, I wish to plea for the lives of these villagers!"

"Emma, what…" Emma shot him a glare, attempting to convey a single message. _Stay out of this._

"SPEAK."

The single word reverberated through the air with such power, many of the villagers fell to their knees.

Emma knelt on one knee as well, bowing her head in what she guessed was a symbol of respect. "My Lord Anankos, surely you do not wish to kill _all_ the humans who cross you?"

"ALL ARE WEAK. ALL ARE MISERABLE WORMS BEFORE ME," the voice boomed, "WHY SHOULD I NOT CRUSH THEM, INSIGNIFICANT AS THEY ARE?"

Emma's mind rushed. "Have you no need for servants?" She called out, "What of those to tend to your castle? Those to give messages? Surely you would be willing to spare a few humans to do this menial work."

"PERHAPS." The Dragon's voice still seemed uncertain. "PERHAPS I COULD USE MY OWN SOLDIERS FOR SUCH WORK."

Emma shook her head. Suddenly, she had seen things the way Anankos saw them. She knew Anankos was sold on the idea. He was just searching for a reason to assert himself above the humans. She thought carefully. How to phrase it so that Anankos didn't feel as though he needed them, but so that they could be useful?

"Milord," she said, bowing deeply, "You are not wrong. Your soldiers could be of use, but only as an inconvenience to my Lord. They rely on your instruction all hours of the day, whilst we…we only need be told once what our duty is."

The voice paused for a moment.

"VERY WELL." It said finally, "You may have the immense honor of being placed as a servant of the king of Valla. But heed my warning." The voice growled fiercely, and suddenly Emma found it very easy to think of the voice as a dragon rather than human. "If I sense even the slightest hint of Rebellion, a touch of dissatisfaction with your position, I will end your pathetic lives. Painfully."

As one, the soldiers moved forward, surrounding the townspeople. Screams of terror and anguish filled the air as the Hoshidans were corralled together to be sent to Valla.

Emma turned back to the ninja. "I need your help"

The ninja glared back at her and sighed. "What is it that you want now?"

Emma pointed to the crowd. "We need to calm the crowd down, or else Anankos will grow impatient, kill the people here and find another group of people to enslave."

The ninja sighed and rolled his eyes. "I suppose you want me to thank you for saving our lives as well." He turned and moved towards the terrified Hoshidans. "I'm not sure it's much to thank, though, spending our lives in captivity."

Emma walked along with him, staff in hand in case she needed to heal. "Perhaps it's not what could have been, but you never know." She turned to the ninja, and a ghastly smile came to her lips. "I hear that the royals of Valla, Mikoto and Arete, escaped and are currently searching for help for our plight. Slaves we may be now, but for life? Perhaps we shall wait and see."

The ninja smiled at this reassurance, and together the two began to close in on the crowd, hugging distraught mothers, holding distraught children in their arms.

"By the way," Emma said nonchalantly, "you never told me your name."

If her eyes weren't mistaken, Emma could have sworn the ninja was blushing. "M-my name? I…never…what?" Emma stared.

"Azaki."

Emma let out a loose, clear laugh that brought smiles to many of the Hoshidans around her.

"Azaki. That's so… _Hoshidan_."

"And you're saying Emma doesn't sound Nohrian?"

"Vallite," the girl corrected. "Although I suppose we're all to be Vallites now."

The two looked at each other for a moment, feeling a mutual sense of camaraderie. Then the reality of the situation set in, and they, along with the Hoshidan townspeople, walked with the Vallite escorts to their new prison of Valla.


	2. Chapter 2- A hopeful Song

_Sixteen years. Sixteen years as servants to the Silent Dragon Anankos. Hope has run low. Dream of escape has all but shattered, and many of the servants are beginning to make plans for families, hoping that someday their children may see freedom, even if they themselves cannot. It was decided early that the children would be raised under the belief that all the servants were Vallite citizens, rather than disgraced Hoshidan prisoners, and that the truth of their capture would not be repeated. Among this time of dreariness and chaos, Emma found a certain spark of passion within a Hoshidan ninja, named Azaki. In time, the two wed and had children of their own, a boy and a girl. The girl, named Esther, is a gifted Shrine Maiden who remains in charge of healing the servants, and sometimes even the shades than Anankos uses as soldiers. The boy, Anthony, is a bright and talented worker who has helped organize several jobs the group of prisoners had, relieving much of the strain on the small society. However, many of the servants still live in dissatisfaction…_

Esther hummed quietly as she calmly plucked flowers from the shrubbery surrounding the courtyard of Castle Valla. Due to her young age and inability to partake in strenuous jobs, she had often been relegated to smaller tasks, such as healing and clearing away unwanted garbage from the castle grounds. Esther had decided early on to interpret this command to allow her to pluck flowers for her parents to enjoy when they returned home. Esther sighed and sat down next to the newly cleared bush in the southwest corner of the courtyard. Her parents, she decided, had been particularly tired the past week. They often had to work hard to keep the other servants in line, and there was rising resentment throughout the ranks regarding their stations as servants. But the past week had seen them stop three rebellions, two attempts to sneak out, and several attempts from the servants to take their own lives. She shuddered, remembering the heartbroken screams of one of the women, an elderly cook named Naomi, that her parents had barely brought from the brink of death.

A strong hand grasped her shoulder, spinning her around, and she let out a small yelp of fear as she was turned to face a group of invisible soldiers that seemed to have snuck up on her.

" _Lord Anankos requires your service."_

Emma gulped and followed the soldiers out of the yard. The dragon had only needed her once before, and that was to heal an invisible swordsman, heavily ravaged from grievous wounds. She had followed the soldiers into a chamber and a torn outline of a man lying on the ground. He had been riddled with what seemed like claw and fang marks, although Esther also thought she saw the telling marks of a sword's blade. Immediately, dozens of soldiers had sprung to life around her, keeping their weapons trained on her until she had fully healed the swordsman and left.

This time, the figure of a beautiful woman greeted Esther. "I was foolish," she moaned, "I failed to see their true might. Please, heal me so I may continue to battle, my lord…"

A moment passed. Esther was wondering who the woman was talking to when a voice boomed forth.

"HEALING, YOU SHALL RECEIVE, MY LOYAL ARETE."

Relief flooded Arete's face, and as Esther approached and held her stave above the woman, that relief turned to utter bliss.

"A CHANCE TO BATTLE THEM…WE SHALL SEE."

Arete's face changed sharply from bliss to distress.

"My…My Lord, what are-"

"PEACE, ARETE."

The woman obediently lay her head back down, closing her eyes in a restful, even if not entirely content, face. "As you wish, My Lord."

"THE BEST LAID PLANS SHALL BE MADE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, MY SERVANT. HERE…THERE ARE PRYING EARS, CAREFUL EYES…"

Esther felt her face grow warm as she worked over the woman. She, after all, was the only being in the room not directly under Anankos's control. Which sparked the question…what was the Silent Dragon planning for her? Or for the servants?

Finally, the wounds on Arete's body seemed to be healed. As she drifted off into sleep, the servant hummed a soft melody, and Esther listened until the woman was fast asleep and the last note had long died away. As she was ushered out of the room, Esther couldn't help the smile that broke across her face. Somehow, without eliciting any lyrics or words of hope, the melody inspired her. She hummed quietly to herself as she rounded a corner, and suddenly found herself facing a small force of invisible soldiers. Suddenly, she felt her blood rush through her veins. She could feel reckless, insipid thoughts run through her head. _I bet you could take these guys if you wanted. They're no threat without their master commanding them. Together, with the rest of the servants, you could probably just escape._ Esther shook her head, snapping herself out of her own trance. The thought was stupid. If it was so easy to leave, her parents would have allowed all the attempted rebellions to take place. And there was no way she could take on any soldier on her own. She was twelve, for goodness sake!

Shaking her head, she walked out to the courtyard to continue cleaning. She finished picking flowers from the hedges, and had moved on to clean the walls, her favorite job of the day. Early in her time at servanthood, she had found a wonderful poem inscribed on the castle walls. She had no idea who had written it, but it had looked so ornate and well versed that she couldn't help but read every word. By now she had read the incantation so many times it was inscribed irrevocably into her memory, but she still loved to walk around and she the origin of her fascination. But today, she couldn't help but think about that beautiful, inspiring melody. She read the verses aloud:

"In the white light, a hand reaches through," _That melody really was gorgeous_

"A double edged blade cuts your heart in two." _How did it go again…?_

"Waking dreams fade away, embrace the brand new day." Esther gasped. She had sung the song, quietly and unwittingly, in time with the verse she read. _They fit._ Tracing back to the first words, Esther sand the tune she had heard, filling the words in to the music.

" _In the white light, a hand reaches through,_

 _A double edged blade cuts your heart in two._

 _Waking dreams fade away, embrace the brand new day._

 _Sing with me a song of Birthrights and love._

 _The light scatters to the sky above._

 _Dawn breaks through the gloom white as a bone,_

 _Lost in Thoughts All Alone."_

Esther gasped again, reeling away from the wall. She was aware enough to realize this meant something. Words inscribed on the castle walls match a song hummed by Anankos's servant…

Esther felt she could almost make a connection, but there was some small piece, a crucial part of information, that she didn't have. But she had a good feeling that she knew where she could find it. Suddenly, she decided, cleaning the walls wasn't so fun of a prospect. She would much prefer to talk with her parents and her big brother. She turned and rushed out the courtyard, only to slam into a soldier standing out of her previous point of view.

"AH! I mean, Oh! I'm s-so sorry!" She edged around the soldier to see his face, but he remained staring, straight ahead, as though she hadn't touched him.

"Um…hello?" No response.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Esther turned and fled down the corridor back to the cell where she knew her parents and brother had retired.

Arguments were breaking out early in the prison block where the Vallite citizens were confined. Over the past few years, there had been growing unrest among the prisoners about their position as servants. There had often been talk of attempted escapes. Some involved stealth, some violence, and others still turned to the idea of a darker means of escape. The leaders of the prisoners, Emma and Azaki, had successfully quelled all of these methods, insisting that freedom would eventually come from the outside. This had often caused resentment and argument from many of the other Vallites, and it was not a surprise to find either Emma or Azaki attempting to reason with a disgruntled jail mate. Such a case was arising when Esther entered the room. Emma was arguing with one of the elders, Jerome, and the spectacle seemed to have attracted nearly the entire company of Vallite citizens. Even Esther's brother, Anthony, had paused his work to watch the argument with fascination.

"I'm trying to tell you, Jerome, that an uprising will not help our position. You see the hordes of soldiers that face us, every day. What do you plan to do with a few meager pointed sticks?" She motioned in disgust towards a mound of sharpened pieces of wood that lay scattered next to the pair. "Even if I were to condone any uprising of violence, this would be absurd!"

"It's a lot right more good then you've ever done for us, outsider." Jerome growled angrily, "You tell us to surrender peacefully, and then we spend sixteen years here with promises of some old queen's return and nothing else? Bah! I've half a mind to condemn you as a spy for Anankos!"

Emma stepped closer, bringing herself eye to eye with the older man. "You wish to call me a traitor, here and now?" she asked quietly. "I saved your lives, Jerome. I bargained for you, and you have a family because of it. All I want is for you to not waste your life foolishly with these useless antics."

"Saved?!" Jerome roared, "You saved our lives, did you? From what I remember, you threw our lives away when you entered into our village! You're an outsider, and nothing more!"

Emma stood there, staring coldly into Jerome's eyes. For a moment, it seemed as if she had ceded a victory for Jerome, and the older man smiled triumphantly. His lips had just begun to part, however, when his head jerked to the side, forced by a blow from beside him. Azaki materialized and looked disdainfully down at the prisoner. "You promised never to speak of that, Jerome." His gaze lifted and he searched the entire room. "All of you promised." The watching prisoners shifted their eyes down, and the room suddenly felt quite cold. "What happened in the past was not Emma's fault. We agreed to forgive her, and to never bring up such feelings of animosity and hatred ever again." The other servants all nodded their heads, echoing agreement to Azaki. Meanwhile, Emma picked Jerome up from the ground, and led him away while talking to him in a lowered voice.

Azaki turned to Anthony and Esther, smiling apologetically. "I'm very sorry you had to see that, children."

Anthony looked at his father inquisitively. "What exactly was Jerome talking about with mother? Is she a foreigner?"

Azakia cringed. "Anthony…that's a very sensitive subject, best saved for later times."

Anthony sighed heavily, and Esther understood the feeling. It seemed that whenever either child wanted to ask their father about their mother, he simply gave them that answer and disappeared. Sometimes it made Esther wonder just how well he had known her before they got married.

"Anthony, did you have a productive day?" The boy perked up immediately, his eyes shining brightly.

"Oh, yes sir! Why just today, I helped Jerome find a simpler, more effective way to point the sticks he gathered, so that they have a better chance to make deeper, more effective cuts." His father sighed and shook his head.

"You know I'm going to have to discourage you from doing that in the future, Anthony."

The boy barely seemed to pay attention. "Yessir. I also gathered some _flora vascillae_ for Katarina, and helped her to crush it into a poultice. Then I did some weapons training with Kerrick."

Azaki smiled, but Esther could tell there was a semblance of pain behind the smile. Azaki had always hoped that Anthony would keep to himself, as Azaki often did, so Anthony wouldn't stand out. Eshter wasn't sure why, but Azaki had always seemed worried every time Anthony showed more of his skills.

Finally, Azaki turned to Eshter. "So, my little flower blossom, what events kept you occupied today?"

Esther opened her mouth, then spotted her mother in the corner of her eye, continuing her argument with Jerome.

"Um…could we wait for just a moment? I want to wait until Mom's done. I think she'll want to hear this."

"Fascinating."

Emma paced the room, absolutely astounded by the information her daughter had just given her.

"And you say the guard was…in a daze? He didn't even pay attention to you?"

Esther shook her head. "He didn't even look at me. He just stared straight ahead."

The girl watched as both her mother and her brother paced around the prison walls, both obviously thinking furiously.

"We can't be sure that the song was the sole contributing factor to the guard's daze," Emma began softly.

"But what else could it be?" Her son replied, "There's no reason for a mindless servant to just look off and daydream like that. There has to have been a reason, right?"

Emma shook her head. "I'm not willing to entertain the thought unless I can give proof." She turned to her daughter and smiled sadly. "Sorry, honey, but words on the side of the wall simply won't cut it for me." The two continued pacing around the wall.

"What about the woman?" Anthony turned to his mother, his face lit with excitement. "She was obviously sentient, and was even talking to Anankos. If that's the case, then she must be important."

"That's right," Esther said defiantly, "I refuse to believe Arete wasn't important."

"What?" Emma whirled around, her eyes open wide. "What did you just call her?" Esther felt her face flush bright red.

"Um…Arete? I…I think that's what he called her, anyways."

"And you just...forgot to tell me this the first time?"

"I didn't think it was imporant!" Esther felt her face grow warm. She wasn't used to arguing with mother, but Emma almost looked crazed.

"Gods above..." Emma turned to Azaki, who nodded his head grimly.

"Queen Arete…not only is she dead, but she's a servant of Anankos…" Emma shook her head solemnly. "After sixteen years, I had begun to suspect that they had…failed… that some way or another, Arete and Mikoto had been made unable to return to Valla." She gasped and turned away, hiding tears that were threatening to spill over. "They were good people, some of the noblest minds I ever heard of."

She turned again to Esther, her face now determined. "You said that this melody came from the woman Arete?"

Esther found herself having a hard time deciphering the events of the past few minutes, but she shook her head and tried to clear her mind. "Um…yes? Yes, it was definitely Arete." Emma smiled.

"Then we finally have a means of escape." She turned to her husband, who had seemed to be just as lost as Esther throughout this entire display. "Go to the rest of the servants, and get them ready. We just might be able to leave this god-forsaken place."

 **Author's Notes:**

So, raise your hand if you think this is going to turn out well at all. I decided to keep the Vallite origins thing a secret from the kids, because there's, like, one line in Revelation where Anthony says all the servants are Vallite citizens. Gotta keep with continuity! Hopefully it makes sense with the fact that people don't want to make Emma feel like a guilt trip after she endangered them, then saved them, then led them to a life of servitude.

I decided to give Anthony some pretty good abilities all around the board to fit with the general villager class option. He's good with sharp pointy sticks, the villager weapon of choice, and he is good with medicine, which reflects the villager promotion of merchant. He also is getting into weapon training to reflect the master of arms promotion.

If you're wondering why his sister's a shrine maiden, then just wait and see. IT'S SUPER DUPER PLOT IMPORTANT MAYBE.


	3. Chapter 3- Distant Hope

_"You are the ocean's gray waves". Whether due to luck or divine intervention, Emma's daughter Esther managed to bring long-awaited hope to the servants of Valla. In joyful preparation for their impending escape, the citizens have made weapons, healing salves, and have made careful note of the guards of Valla; their patterns of movement, their organization. It has been decided. Now is the time to make them move. Now is the time to make a desperate bid for freedom._

Anthony watched as dimly lit torches flickered a farewell to the departing soldiers of Anankos. The servants had been watching their guardians closely for days on end, and a deduction had finally arrived that this was to be the optimal moment of departure; from here, it would be another hour until a sentry made way to the prison cell again. He tapped the wall lightly, and could immediately feel the presence of his mother at his side. Presently, the rest of the villagers began to arrive as well, each carrying a spear-like weapon that they had crafted. Following close behind was a bleary-eyed Esther, who looked as if she was just about to fall back asleep. Anthony felt a slight twinge of panic as he saw his sister. The plan had called for the group to leave at precisely this time, but it also called for his sister's action. He had no way of knowing if she would even be able to sing to the guards if- no, when- they were caught. The thought made him shiver. Esther caught his worried stare and held her hand up silently in a placating gesture. _I'm fine._ Truthfully, she was exhausted, but she knew she would be able to do her part when the time came. Both children watched as their father strode confidently to the front of the line. It was undisputed that Azaki was the master of stealth throughout the entire servanthood. When asked who was to lead the group through this stealth mission, all eyes had immediately trained on him. He paused now, almost as if trying to sense the best pathway to go through. After a brief moment, he nodded and the group of servants followed him through the corridor. Moving through the darkness, Anthony suddenly felt a surge of hope. Maybe, just maybe, they could make it through this unscathed.

Of course, the soldiers took this moment to find them. All of a sudden, torches all around the group blazed with life, and a small group of soldiers shrouded in a purple haze surrounded them. They said nothing, merely raising their weapons in preparation to attack. But before they had a chance, a soft voice rose from the group of servants:

 _You are the ocean's gray waves, destined to seek light beyond the shore…"_

The crowd parted, allowing the small figure of Esther to emerge to the front. She gripped her staff loosely, and a relaxed tone had entered into her voice. It almost seemed to Anthony that the staff itself glowed dimly with some ethereal power.

" _The path is yours to climb."_

Esther finished, and

The entire group of servant looked to the soldiers, half raising their weapons tentatively, the rest simply swaying, still enamored by Esther's song. To Anthony's relief, the guards sheathed their weapons and moved to one side. Esther smiled and curtsied, perhaps unnecessarily, and the group surged on towards the palace gates. Emma gripped her daughter's hand proudly, and Anthony could hear his mother heaping praise onto Esther. Despite himself, he felt a slight burning sensation of jealousy in his face as he listened. Anthony and his sister bore no ill will to each other, but he so often felt like his parents heaped praise upon their youngest when he strived so hard to please them in every area. Completely lost in thought, he hardly even realized that they had reached the exit of the palace until he felt the rough hand of a leading villager on his shoulder, pulling him back from the gates.

Without a pause, Emma strode forwards to the gate. The gate had been one of the biggest perceived issues of leaving the castle: no matter what, it was always locked and sealed off, making it nearly impossible to escape. But Anthony had seen his mother in action before. She was a skilled locksmith, able to open nearly any compartment before most even realized it was locked. He had also spied her preparing herself for this moment by working with her lock picks, practicing on nearly any lock she could find in the castle. It would only be a matter of time before she could open the gate, and everyone could be free.

" _Halt."_

Before the servants could even react, mass outpours of Vallite soldiers flooded the hallway, backing the group against the gated walls. Esther stood up again, and her voice rang out over the soldiers.

" _In the white light, a hand reaches through_ -"

The rest of the song was cut off by a massive roar that shook the entire castle, and Esther herself fell down, covering her ears and screaming. Anthony ran and grabbed his sister, pulling her back into the group of servants.

" _PATHETIC."_

The voice didn't come from the soldiers, but instead reverberated all around the castle.

" _THE PATHETIC WORMS BELIEVE THEY HAVE OUTSMARTED THEIR GOD, HAVE THEY? WITH A POWERLESS SONG AND A PATHETIC ATTEMPT AT HIDING IN THE SHADOWS."_

Anthony's heart sank. Somehow, Anankos had been completely impervious to Esther's song. He cursed himself quietly. In all their strategizing, their planning, and their hoping, none of them had ever pondered that Anankos himself would be impervious, or even get involved. It had been an ill-fated plan from the beginning.

" _THE SONG ON IT'S OWN DOES HAVE SOME POWER,"_ the Silent Dragon conceded, " _BUT TO TRULY STAND EVEN A SMALL CHANCE, YOU WOULD HAVE NEEDED ONE OF MY BLOODLINE, AS WELL AS A PORTION OF MY OWN DRAGON'S STONE. NEITHER OF WHICH YOU HAVE, I BELIEVE."_

The soldiers gathered around the servants, weapons trained in an uncompromising manner.

" _AS PUNISHMENT, I BELIEVE A SACRIFICE IS IN ORDER."_

From an unspoken command, the invisible soldiers surged forward and grabbed one of the servant girls by the hair, dragging her forward. Anthony's heart sank as he saw Katarina, the girl he had helped in medicine making. She screamed horribly, tears running down her face as the unmoving, uncaring visages of the soldiers swarmed around her. A berserker stepped forward and Anthony, along with several others, turned away as it raised its axe. Seeing that his sister was still watching with a look of horror and disgust, Anthony quickly turned her head away as well. The screams seemed to last forever- drawn out, petrified, full of pain and fear. Then all of a sudden, Anthony heard a slight grunt, as if Katarina had simply lifted a heavy burden. Then silence.

Nobody moved, nobody wanted to see the sight that Anankos had left for them. Anthony felt a searing in his chest, and he wasn't sure whether he wanted to yell, or cry, or simply lay down and die. He felt a cold presence at his shoulder, and looked up to see a Vallite soldier leering down at him.

 _"NOW,"_ the dragon's voice bloomed, with an almost perverse pleasure. " _LET US GIVE PUNISHMENT TO THE FAMILY BEHIND THIS ORDEAL, SHALL WE?"_

Anthony was yanked off his feet by Vallite soliders each grabbing and arm and pinning it to Anthony's side, rendering him defenseless. Esther was still wracked with grief, putting up no resistance at all. The soldiers simply picked her up and carried her, while Anthony saw his father and mother restrained in a similar fashion to himself. The soldiers accelerated forward, taking uneasy steps purposefully to throw Anthony off balance. He didn't even notice as the pairs divulged, each taking a family member to a different place. Again, a dark and cold presence seemed to invade his thoughts.

" _NOW, SON OF VALLA"_ the dragon said, almost softly, "SHOW ME HOW HUMANITY HAS HARDENED YOU. HOW MUCH PAIN WILL YOU BE WILLING TO BEAR, FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY?"

A haunting laugh filled the air as the soldiers and their prisoner descended into the darkness of the Vallite castle.

 **Author's note:** I know, I know, I'm a bad writer and haven't updated in forever. College kind of stinks in how you have to do things constantly. Weekly updates are kind of not going to be able to be a thing, but please keep checking, because I'm still going to do this to the end, which is still a good few chapters.

Anyways, SUSPENSE! Kind of. It's hard to give suspense when everyone knows how it's going to play out, but hey, viewer's interpretation means I can exercise some liberties from here. I kind of had to throw that bit about dragon stones and Vallite royalty because Azura has these annoying supports that actually build up canon, smh. And I decided to do this from Anthony's perspective because I realized that I don't have a lot of chapters listed that are really from Anthony's POV, which is sort of a bummer. Oh, yeah, and someone dies. No details cause this is technically rated T. _Whoops_.


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